Oakland reopening talks with A’s on possible Bay Area stadium
The city of Oakland, California, is renewing talks with the Athletics in an attempt to keep them in the Bay Area.
Justin Berton, spokesman for Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, referred to a statement issued Friday affirming the commitment to talks. He said Tuesday there was no update.
“Mayor Schaaf and city staff are excited about the progress that is being made,” Berton said in the statement. “This moves us one step closer to making the vision of a world-class waterfront ballpark a reality.”
An attempt to reach A’s President Dave Kaval was unsuccessful.
A’s officials have made four trips to Southern Nevada to scout potential stadium locations in the Las Vegas area. They also have met with various political and business leaders.
Major League Baseball gave the A’s permission in May to explore other cities after longtime discussions with Oakland about a new stadium failed to produce an agreement.
A’s officials have visited only Las Vegas, but could decide to see what other locales have to offer.
The Oakland City Council voted 6-1 on July 20 for its own counter proposal to what the A’s were seeking. That vote didn’t sit well with Kaval or MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. The A’s had proposed a $12 billion mixed-use project that included a $1 billion, 35,000-seat stadium that was not considered by the council.
“We are disappointed the city council chose to vote on a proposal to which the A’s had not agreed,” Manfred said in a statement after the vote. “We will immediately begin conversations with the A’s to chart a path forward for the Club.”
Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.
